Breaking up with somebody with whom you’ve shared a bed and a range of emotions is certainly very difficult, and regardless of the reason, you always want to minimize the impact of the breakup on the other person if you truly care about them. One thing is for sure: no matter how gently you try to put it, it will still affect your partner – however, you can go a long way in determining that extent. There are several ‘precautions’ you can take in order to make the breakup as easy to handle as possible, and here you’ll find eight simple yet respectful and polite ways to tell your soon-to-be ex that the two of you are done, and that you need to go your separate ways:
1. Don’t Put the Blame Only on Your Partner
No matter if your partner has cheated on you or if the two of you have communication problems, it is crucial to understand that it is almost never only one person’s fault. In a relationship or marriage, the blame is usually ‘shared,’ where each of the two parties has a fair share of culpability, and things are never simple. You might be tempted to place the blame only on your partner, but it is important to try being as objective as possible. In the end, this will make things easier for both of you.
2. Don’t Leave Any Open Doors if You Are Not Interested in Staying Friends
Another common mistake people tend to make in breakups is that they tend to leave ‘doors open’ – there is a very thin line between doing this successfully and making your partner believe there is a chance, however slight, that you might get back together, stay friends or become ‘friends with occasional benefits,’ as opposed to splitting up for good. That being said, if you are really not interested in keeping in touch with your partner once you break up, try to make that very clear. Put it gently and don’t ever forget that your partner has feelings, but at the same time be very clear and direct. If you leave doors open, the other may continually try to remain close – and if you don’t want that and reject his or her friendship, you will only end up hurting your partner all over again! Therefore, save both of you some time, trouble and heartache and discuss the matter openly and truthfully.
